The following discussion of the background to the invention is intended to facilitate an understanding of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that the discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to was published, known or part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.
There is a growing need for self-protection aids, and more particularly bullet protection aids in a wide variety of locations. Whilst still infrequent in many countries, gun crimes and attacks are increasingly targeting civilians, typically at urban communal locations such as schools, universities, churches and community centres. Personal shields such as bullet resistant vests can provide suitable protection for an individual for selected applications. However, such anti-ballistic clothing is impractical and expensive for long term and large scale everyday use.
Additional means of protection could assist in reducing the number of fatalities of gun crimes in urban communal locations such as meeting rooms, classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, governmental chambers, council rooms, school board chambers. In such locations, a shielding device would ideally be designed to be used and blend into a conventional room's appearance so as to not detract or substantially alter the décor or character of that room.
International Patent Publication WO 2012018986 describes a method of retrofitting furniture to act as a ballistic shield and furniture constructed to provide a ballistic shield. In this patent publication, furniture such as tables, lecterns, desks, cupboards and chairs are taught as having one or more anti-ballistic panels or sheets incorporated into a side, surface or component thereof to provide bullet-proof and/or bullet-resistant properties. The anti-ballistic material preferably comprises a soft armour and a hard armour material component affixed to the interior and/or exterior surfaces of furniture allowing the flexibility or expansion required for maximum protection. In use, the furniture, for example a workplace table or lectern may be held in place or moved in place between the shooter and potential target victims to act as a bullet resistant shield.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,379 B1 describes a desk having a removable bullet resistant desk top shield which can be removed and used as a personal shield. The desk is described as used for protection against personal assault in school or as shield against projectiles such bullets, knives, shrapnel, or flying debris that might be encountered during earthquake, fires, and storms.
The anti-ballistic furniture of WO 2012018986 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,379 B1 are taught as only being used as a personal shield for a user, largely in their normal function and position when acting as a shield. The taught furniture would not provide a useful barrier for a large number of people, or be practical for use as a barrier to bar entry to a room or other enclosure.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an anti-ballistic barrier which could be integrated into a domestic or commercial room and provide a barrier to bar entry to a room or other enclosure.